The U.S. and India have begun working on a bilateral aviation safety agreement (BASA), which will lead to mutual acceptance of aeronautical products and parts developed in either country.The two countries saw the need for the pact, now that aeronautical products are being designed and manufactured in India. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the steps involved in a BASA process include: Skill upgrades of Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) certification experts through advanced training;
StandardAero added Scott Taylor as SVP for business aviation. Taylor previously led sales and marketing for Honeywell Aerospace's business and general aviation division.
Business aircraft MRO shops are adjusting to a lackluster refurbishment and modification market, reeling from the impact of tight budgets, cutbacks in flying and a huge inventory of unsold pre-owned aircraft.
Low-VOC Contact Adhesives, Cements A new line of low volatile organic content contact adhesives and cements is available from Royal Adhesives and Sealants. The new Silaprene brand contact adhesives and cements contain less than 250 grams per liter of VOCs, compared to more than 600 grams per liter of VOCs in traditional solvent-based contact adhesives and cements.
Lufthansa Technik, Bombardier and ExecuJet Aviation Group agreed in September to modify and extend the terms of the agreement that forms Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services (LBAS) for an unlimited period of time.
The Defense Logistics Agency –Ogden awarded Goodrich a contract to provide new carbon brakes and boltless wheels for C-130 transport aircraft worth up to $400 million in revenue over the life of the program. It includes original equipment and aftermarket sales for U.S. and international customers and covers qualification activities as well as flight test and retrofit equipment.OM
LONDON—The U.K. Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has made 14 safety recommendations for changes to equipment, maintenance procedures and operational security for A319 aircraft. These key changes appear in its newly published final report into a serious inflight electrical system failure on an EasyJet A319 in September 2006.
Consultation periods for an EASA Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA 2009-06) concerning the use of composite materials in aircraft structures ends this month. With new, largely composite jetliners soon to enter the market, NPA 2009-06 aims to create a single Acceptable Means of Compliance chapter (AMC 20-29) to standardize recognized good practices for composite aircraft structure design, manufacturing and maintenance.
Vector Aerospace has been selected to begin upgrading the Royal Air Force’s fleet of Chinook multi-mission, heavy-lift helicopters next year, by installing the model 55-L-714A engine and spare parts from Honeywell Aerospace. The work is expected to last for five years. The contract, valued at approximately $185 million, was awarded to Honeywell in August.
The Brazilian Air Force selected Vector Helicopter Services-North America to support its fleet of 32 Bell H-1H helicopters under a five-year agreement worth $15 million. Vector will provide in-country support for airframe inspection, repair services and logistics from a military facility. Its Andalusia, Ala. facility also will repair dynamic components and overhaul transmissions, gearboxes and hydraulics.
Monogram Systems reissued STCs to install Envirovac toilets, chemical injection toilets or Envirovac vacuum waste blowers on McDonnell Douglas MD-11; Boeing 767-200 and -300, 747-400 and 777-200; and Airbus A319 and A320 series aircraft, Several STCs
September's Technical Innovation correctly said that metal fiber brushes can carry two to four times the current as carbon brushes, but should have continued to say that 250 amps per square in. are easily obtained with 1,000 amps per square in. under select conditions. The caption on p. 32 should have read, An X-ray shot of the laser-drilled cooling channels in the turbine blades of a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000. Boeing provided the September cover photo of a 787.
Panasonic Avionics and SIA Engineering Co. signed a 10-year agreement for the maintenance of inflight entertainment and communication equipment on Singapore Airlines' entire fleet. Panasonic will work in conjunction with SIAEC to provide a “one-stop-shop” solution covering all on-aircraft labor, logistics, spares, repairs and media loading. Parts/Components
Boeing has closed a deal with the government for the purchase of 15 CH-147F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. The program includes a 20-year in-service support and maintenance contract worth about $2.2 billion, almost twice as much as the $1.2-billion price of the helicopters. The contract includes an option to extend MRO to the life expectancy of the aircraft. No word has been released yet as to whether Boeing or a local company will be responsible for maintenance services.
PATS Aircraft reissued STC to install an ECE substitute halogen lamp to replace nose gear and/or wing landing and nose gear taxi lights on various Boeing 737, 767, 777 and 747 series aircraft, STC ST02064LA
Siam Hiller Holdings reissued STC to install Allison 250-C18A, -C18C, -C20, -C20B engine and related changes on various Bell 47G helicopters, STC SH657NW
Delta TechOps inked a $7 million, four-year component maintenance and inventory logistics contract with Canadian charter airline CanJet. Delta TechOps will take care of component and logistics inventory support for the Halifax, Nova Scotia-based carrier's Boeing 737-800s. The agreement covers avionics, pneumatics, and hydraulics, and it provides access to Delta's inventory of 737-800 components for spare parts. It also signed a $1.3 million, three-year component deal with another Canadian carrier, First Air.
Aerospace executives hope to continue making inroads on their long quest to simplify and ease U.S. export controls on certain aerospace parts with a White House and congressional review of the U.S. export control system. President Obama in August directed the National Economic Council and National Security Council to undertake a broad interagency review of the U.S. export control system, according to a White House statement. The review is to include both the dual-use and defense trade processes.
A J Walter will support another Astraeus Airlines Boeing 757-200 under an existing power-by-the-hour support arrangement with the U.K.-based sub-lease services and aircraft and crew provider, which operates a fleet of five 757s and two 737NGs. A J Walter has supported Astraeus Airlines from its base near London-Gatwick since the carrier's launch in 2002.
Pacific Aerospace Resources & Technologies (PART) bought out Victorville Aerospace’s assets in August, finally anchoring that company after it filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 last September. PART plans to grow its new Victorville base, where it will offer MRO, modifications, asset and maintenance management, mission critical systems development and integration, platform technologies and flight test services to military and commercial customers from a hangar large enough to host an Airbus A380. Facilities
Jettech to install a Sandel SA4550 primary attitude display, SN4500 primary navigation displays and associated equipment into a Cessna 500 to obtain WAAS approval for a Garmin GNS-400W/500W global navigation system with an FGS-70 automatic flight control system, STC ST10945SC
Premier Air Center amended STC to install a four- or five-display Universal Avionics EFI-890R electronic flight instrument system on Dassault Falcon 50 aircraft, STC ST02226CH
Midcoast Aviation to install structural provisions, data connectivity and power supply for a dual Class II electronic flight bag on Bombardier CL-600-2B16 (CL-604) aircraft, STC ST02721CH-D
